Ink-jet printing mechanisms are used in a variety of different “marking devices,” such as plotters, facsimile machines and ink jet printers, to print images using a colorant, referred to generally herein as “ink.” These ink-jet printing mechanisms use ink-jet cartridges or fluid-ejection mechanisms, often called “print cartridges,” to shoot drops of ink onto a page or sheet or web or product of print media.
Each fluid-ejection mechanism has a printhead formed with very small nozzles through which the ink drops are fired. The particular ink ejection mechanism within the printhead may take on a variety of different forms known to those skilled in the art, such as those using piezo-electric or thermal printhead technology.
Because of many factors (such as the use of small nozzles and quick-drying ink), these fluid-ejection mechanisms are susceptible to failure in the event that some or all of the nozzles become clogged due to lack of use or with contaminates such as dried ink or minute dust particles. Therefore, these ink-jet fluid-ejection mechanisms are typically designed to be replaceable. Therefore, if a fluid-ejection mechanism fails, it is typically removed and replaced with an operational one.